, 1887-12-24

sY N1NN AANN NSA PAN~
be the first served. 1t would, perhaps, be
better to rave u Committee, the Members
OF which should be appointed partly by
the Government and partly by the Coun-
Gil, to Superintend the distribution of the
labourers, that is to say, if the Draft be
adopted; and in this respect, it seemed to
him that the Colonial Treasury is so very
much i'll debt, that Members should hest
tate going into extraordinary expenses.
3rd Member for ChriStianSted'S Country
District (LeeryJ would of course be willing
to accept any feasible mode Of distribution,
provided the main object be acP we'd. Hc
would beg to state here, that ac Ording 20
his calculation there are 1900 p tSonS now
withdrawn from the estates la, our and
occupied on small farms of their own: he
felt convinced, that if this fact were known
III 1886, it would have been taken into con-
sideration by the Ministry of course,
there Is no saving how many more will
leave estates and go out farming, when
facilities are offered them in the east. lie
felt happy to hear the Chairman support
the matter, and he trusted that the whole
Council will join in recommending the
Draft for sanction.
The Governments Secretary would beg to
ask how the honorable Member had got
the figure stated, viz: 1900?
3rd Member for ChriStiansted'S Country
District (Leepy) said it is basod ca state
ments he had SGT ut the Factory's S ,atiOns
OF the number of PEE IONS delivering canes
from small firms, and pa. lies assisting in
that work.
The Government Secretary would say,
that we should anyhow deduct the number
of immigrantS introduced in the past years,
say LOCO; if we take from this figure, $50
for others who have emigrated, we get 100
as the number of increase and still remain
ing III the Island on estates.
3rd Member for Christiansted'S Country
District (LeeUy) after deducting that mum
Der there would still be 1000 persons, sup
posed to be Withdrawn from estates work
Tor Sqnattlng purposes.
Bird Member for ChriStiansted (St0kem0nn)
pointed out that that number certainly
includes many i~dividuais from town, such
as mas0ns and carpenters; these do not
live OH estates, but in town.
3rd Member for ChristianSted's Country
District (Leery would say, that those very
maSOnS and carpenters have at some pre-
UOuS period, nearer or more distant, been
on estates and were at least employed
there, even if they Glanced to reside
for a time elsewhere; but now they are
taken away entirely from their connection
with estates cultivation.
Ord Member for trederlkSted'S Country
District (HeWit0 would beg to enquirewhat
is the present balance on hand of the
immigration fund?
The Governments Secretary replied, that
the amount is SIG, 020.98.
3rd Member for Frederiksted's Country
District (Heacit) would then beg to ask, as
long as the Government will not, as we
have heard to-day, join in assisting plant
erS, and the Island at large i'll the way,
suggested in the Draft, what will the
available means of the immigration fund
then be applied to?
The Governments Secretary: The Immi-
grafton tax is assessed according to an
Ordinance, and Government can not dis
pose of the amounts collected in any other
manner than allowed Y the immigration
Ordinance. 1t is onlyIof late years that
the funds have increased, as in forr )er>
years the iL-vno vaL lbiefly required for
paying instalmeEts Al { {terest en- a large
loan, which the Munic ality had contrac-
ted some years ago, WI N a large importa-
ton of labourers from the Eastindies into
this Island took place. THAT loan has re-
Gently been PAID Fl in full; aud the funds
derived from the Immigratio tax are now
exclusively applied for the p fposes allow
ed by the Ordinance namelf for defray-
ing two thirds OF +he total Expenses for
introducing labourers, chiefly from the
surrounding foreign Islands, while +"N en-